FYI: Netflix’s “Sierra Burgess Is a Loser” Is Based on This Famous Classic

FYI: Netflix’s “Sierra Burgess Is a Loser” Is Based on This Famous Classic

Netflix is bringing back the romantic comedy genre and redefining expectations of them. Both “Set It Up” and “All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” made audiences fall in love, and now the latest is “Sierra Burgess Is a Loser,” which is a modern retelling of the play “Cyrano De Bergerac.”

This is not something new for movies, and fans may know that the movie “10 Things I Hate About You” is loosely based on “The Taming of the Shrew” by Shakespeare and that “Clueless” is based on “Emma.” This latest romantic comedy by Netflix is now retelling Edmond Rostand’s classic play, which came out in 1897, but is also introducing new technology such as social media, FaceTime, and texting into the story.

For those that don’t know, the play is about a poet who is ashamed to tell the woman he loves, Roxanne, that he does in fact love her because he thinks his nose is too big. Another guy, named Christian, also falls for Roxanne and ask for Cyrano’s help in expressing his feelings. Cyrano will then write love letters signed with Christian’s name, but Roxanne doesn’t realize that they’re not Christian’s words she is falling for, but instead belong to Cyrano.

The Netflix movie updates this story with the unpopular girl Sierra, as she falls in love with a jock named Jamey after he mistakenly texts her thinking she’s a different girl. Sierra wants to keep talking to Jamey, so she works with Veronica, the cheerleader that Jamey thinks he is talking to, and then she tells her what to say over FaceTime. Bringing this story into modern times almost sounds like catfishing, but it’s understandable how it’s happening.

The trailer for the movie shows how the title came to be with the first scene depicting Sierra talking to the guidance counselor and the guidance counselor asking who Sierra is. While some words are thrown around, loser is the one that sticks out. The trailer sets up the groundwork for the relationship between Sierra and Veronica, and you can see the drama right away. In addition to appealing to lovers of romantic comedies, the movie is set in high school and will speak to anyone about common teenage struggles.

The show premiered on Netflix on September 7th. Watch it and go impress your friends with your knowledge of the movie and the classic it’s based on. Netflix has had great success, and some credit the streaming service for helping to bring back the genre and reminding viewers how fun it is to watch two people fall in love against misadventures and funny situations. Netflix saw the void that these films weren’t be made for theatrical release anymore and stepped into to fill the need of people wanting to watch a satisfying romantic comedy. As the theatrical landscape becomes more competitive, movie makers are trying to make films that appeal to a wide arrange of audiences, but there is still need for some sappy romance and more targeted options. Thanks to Netflix, that void is being filled.